Railroad-frog



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. A. SMEIGH.

RAILROAD FROG. No. 262,841. Patented Aug. 15, 1882.

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(No Model.)

J. A. SMEIGH. RAILROAD FROG. No. 262,841. Patented Aug. 15, 1882..

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JAMES A. SMEIGH, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-FROG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 262,841, dated August15, 1882,

Application filed March 4, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. SMEIGH, of Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Railroad-Frogs; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention consists in the construction of an improved railway-frogfor railway-switches and similar places, the purpose of which is toenable the switch-track to cross the rail or rails of the main trackwithout cutting them. As ordinarily constructed, these frogs have beenmade with a diagonal cut for the passage of the flanges of the wheels ofthe car, and have been placed in the line of the main track at the pointof crossing. The cutting of the main rail or rails is an objectionablefeature, in that it is afruitful cause of accidents, which are alwaysattended with expense and sometimes loss of life.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willnow describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a plan view of the same, showing it as applied to one of therails of the main track. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the switch, showingthe relation of the improved frog to the switch and main tracks. Fig. 3is a cross-section on the line 2 z of Fig. 2, looking in the directionof the incoming switchtrack. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the frog. Fig. 5is a section at the line y y of Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 are sections onthe line a" a; of Fig. 4, and show the frog in open and closedpositions, respectively. Fig. Sis a perspective view of the movable endof the switoh-rail b. Fig. 9 is a cross-section on the line 20 w of Fig.8. Fig. 10 is a cross-section on the line a v of Fig. 8. Fig. 11 isaperspective View of the slide it in an inverted position. Fig. 12 is aview of the switch rack and lever.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

In the drawings the main-track rails are marked a a, the switch-rails bb, theimproved frog 0, and the cross-ties d.

The switch is of the ordinary construction, having a lever, 6, workingon the rack e, and

(No model.)

pivotally connected by a rod, 0 to a sliding bar, 6 which rests upon thestringers m, and is connected to the pivoted ends I) of the switch-railsI) b in the ordinary way. A rod, 0 is rigidly connected to the lever c,and extends longitudinally up the track to a point opposite to the placewhere the main-track rail a is ordinarily cut for the insertion of thefrog 0. At this point the rod 0 is provided with a crank, 0 which ispivoted to a rod, 0, which in turn is pivotally connected to the slideit by means of an eye, 7L3.

Pivoted to the frog 0 at f is the vibrating section f of the innerswitch-rail, b. The vibrating piece f is not only capable of ahorizontal movement on its pivot f, but also of a vertical movement onthe pivot f sufficient to carry its top flange, f upon the top of therail to, as shown in Fig. 7 In the upper surface of the piece f is alongitudinal recess, f which at the butt-endf is deep and narrow, andwhich, as it extends toward the other end of the piece f, widens andgrows shallower until itis gradually merged into the even upper surfaceof the piece.

Secured to the vertical flange f by means of the plate f or otherwise,is apendent stem, f which is provided with a lateral pin, f, the purposeof which will be hereinafter described.

The slide h, before mentioned, is placed in a lateral groove formed bythe plates on the under side of the frog 0, said plates extending underthe edges of the slide it, and serving as ways upon which it travels.

Fastened to the slide h, and projecting from its under surface betweenthe plates k k, is a piece, h, which is longitudinally slotted, as atIf, directly under a similar slot, 0', in the bottom plate of the frog0. The piece It is also diagonally slotted, as at 7L2, in the sides k ofthe said longitudinally-slotted piece h. It also has a pin orprojection, 71., at or near the rear end. At one side of the slot 0 is awedge or incline, 0 When the parts are placed together the stem f of thepiece f projects down through the slot 0 into the slot b and its pin fextends laterally in the diagonal slots 7L2.

Fastened to the under side of the frog 0 at t is an angle-lever orbell-crank, i, the forward ICO end of which is notched or bifurcated, asat i, The pin h of the slide it extends down into the notch or slot i.The short arm of the lever 6 is bifurcated in a similar manner at t.

Attached to the frog 0 is a plate, 9, and pivoted to the plate 9, as atat the side of therail a forward of the point where the switchrail 1)crosses it, is a bell-crank or angle lever, g, the short arm of whichextends down into the notch i of the lever i. The adjacent end of theswitch-rail b is raised above the rail a by means of the plate b placedunder it, to a height equal to the height of the rail a, and thethickness of the flange f of the vibrating section or piece f.

When the switch-lever e is turned to open the switch the crank e throwsthe slide h into the position shown in Fig. 7. The movement of the slideit causes the pin f to ride up on the incline h, and forces the outerend of the piece f up on the incline c and when the stem f comes incontact with the end of the slot 7L5 the piece f is pressed laterallyover the top of the rail a until its beveled portion f comes in contactwith the side of the raised rail I). This position is shown in Figs. 1and 7. The switch is then open, and the wheels of the car entering uponthe main track from the switch can pass over the rail a with safety. Inthis way I am enabled to cross the rail to at this point without cuttingthe same for the passage of the flanges of the wheels.

At the point where the rail bjoins the buttend of the piece f theelevated portion f corresponds with and is a continuation of the top ofthe rail, so that in case the switch is open without the piece f beingthrown into the position shown in Fig. 7, and a car passes onto or oilof the main track over the switchtrack, the tread of the wheels shallroll upon the surface f and the flanges pass along the recess f and theweight of the car be gradually shifted from the tread of the wheels tothe flanges as the latter come in contact with the upper surface of f byreason of the gradual shallowing of the recess f the wheels crossing themain rail a from the piece f to the elevated rail 1), or vice versa. Theflanges of the opposite wheels, bcin g held by the guard-rail n on therail b, cause the flanges of the wheels on the rail 11 to pass safelyover the top of rail (1 without displacement from the track.

The construction just described may be used for general purposes withoutshifting the'piece J" from the position shown in Fig. 2, but is not sodesirable as the construction first described, because there is less jarin the passage of the car when the piece j is thrown upon the top of therail a and the car traverses its whole length than when it crosses itand the main rail a in entering and passing from the main track.

In order to close the switch, if inadvertently left open, I have shownthe apparatus constituted of the levers g and 'i. If a train is passingin the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, the

flange of the wheel striking the lever g, which is raised by the openingof the switch, will depress it, throwing back the lever i in theposition shown by the dotted line in Fig. at, which will cause the slideh to be thrown back, the pivoted piece f to be forced into the positionshown by Fig. 6, and the switch to be closed, thereby clearing the maintrack, both at the frog and at the switch.

I will now describe the construction of the switch-lever e, whichenables it to be used either to operate the switch alone or to operatethe switch and piece f simultaneously. The lever e is composed of twobars, 6' and 0 The bar a is the switch-lever proper. It is looselypivoted on the rod e so as to turn thereon without turning the rod, andthe rod 6 is pivoted to it. The bar 0 is fastened rigidly to the rod 0*,so as to turn it, and is bolted to the bar 6 so as to be moved thereby.

When it is desired to use the lever e as a switch-lever only, the bolts0 that fasten the bar 6 to the bar e, are removed, and then the leverwill operate the switch only; but when it is desired to operate both theswitch and the pivoted piece f the two bars 6 and e are bolted together,as shown in Fig. 12. The effect of the incline c is to sustain theweight of the piece f in part, and thus to that extent relieve theinclined slots k and pin f of a portion of the weight and friction. Itis a desirable but not a necessary feature, because the device willoperate without it.

My invention is simple in its construction and not liable to get out oforder, and hence is useful for practical purposes.

The advantage of not cutting the main rail (1 consists in reducing theliability to expensive and dangerous accidents.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination, with an elevated switchrail, of a vibrating sectionhaving a horizontal and vertical pivot and an inclined slide adapted tomove the vibrating section radially and to elevate the pivoted endthereof, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. Thecombination,withtheelevatedswitchrail, of a vibrating sectionhaving a vertical and horizontal pivot and an incline or groove whichincreases in width and decreases in depth from the pivoted end of thesection, an inclined slide for actuating the vibrating section, anangle-lever, and a trip-lever, g, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

3. The switch-lever composed of two parts, one pivoted loosely andoperating the switch and the other removably fastened to the pivotedpart and rigidly fastened to a crank-rod, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

4. The combination, in a railway-frog, of a pivoted piece having apendent stem provided with a laterally-projecting pin, with a slidehaving lateral inclined slots therein, the edges of which, operatingupon the pin, give the piece f a vertical movement, and the ends ofwhich, operating upon the pin, give the piece f a radial movement on itspivot, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. The piece f, having a deep narrow inclined groove, f extending alongits side, the lowest point of said groove being next the pivotal pointof the piece f to shift the weight from the tread to the flange inpassing from the switch to the main track, substantially as specified.

6. The piece f, of angular form at its free end, and provided at itsopposite end with a horizontal and a vertical pivot, said piece havingthe inclined groove f substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The slide it, having a central longitudinal slot and inclined slotsin its sides opening into the central longitudinal slot, in combinationwith a pivoted or vibrating crossing section,

having a pendent stem provided with lateral 20 pins, substantially asand for the purposes described.

8. The combination of the angle-lever g with the angle-lever i, theslide h, having the central longitudinal slot and inclined slot, and a z5 vibrating crossing section having a stem and pins to engage with theslide, substantially as and for the purposes described.

9. The combination of the an gle-levers g and '5, slide h, crank-rod elever e, rod' 6 and 30 switch-bars b, operated thereby, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set in y hand this 28th day ofFebruary, A. D. 1882.

JAMES A. SMEIGH. Witnesses:

T. B. KERR, JAMES H. PoRTE.

